Stringed musical instrument



A. J. REAMS,JR., AND L. A. WILLIAMS.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, [917.

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ANDREW JAY BEAMS, JR., AND LEWIS A. WILLIAMS, ASSIGNORS TO GIBSON MANDOLIN-GUITAR (10., 015' OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

Application filed April 28, 1917. Serial No. 165,189.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW J AY BEAMS, Jr, and Lnwis A. WILLIAMS, citizens of the United States, residing at the city and county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bodies for stringed musical instruments.

Our improvements are particularly concerned with the bodies of stringed musical instruments of the lute type in which the fingers or a plectrum are used for plucking the strings, such as mandolins, guitars and the like.

The main object of our invention is to provide an instrument of the class described having a large volume of sound and of great carrying power and at the same time one in which the tones are pure and mellow.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

We accomplish the objects of our invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claim.

A structure which is a preferred en1bodiment of our invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of-this specification, in which:

Figure I is a plan view of an instrument embodying the features of our invention, parts being broken away for convenience in illustration.

Fig. II is an enlarged detail longitudinal section taken on a line corresponding to line 2---2 of Fig. I, with parts broken away.

Fig. III is a transverse section on a line corresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. II.

Fig. IV is a detail plan view the sounding and finger boards being removed.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated our improvements as we have embodied the same in mandolins. The body of our instrument comprises a rim 1, sounding board 2, back 3. The instrument is provided with an outwardly tapered head 5 having a double series of tuning pegs 6 for the strings 7. The series of tuning pegs 6 are disposed to converge outwardly.

The body of the instrument is preferably ovate in general outline, as illustrated. The sounding board and back have substantially flat outer portions 8 and concavo-conveX central portions 9, the concavo-convex portions being preferably ovate in outline, as shown in Figs. I and IV.

The sounding board and back are preferably formed with the grain of the wood running longitudinally. The concavo-convex portions are of a gradually decreasing thickness from the center or crowns thereof to the flat portions, the zone of greatest thinness being in the fiat portions adjacent to but within the rim. This variation in thickness is exaggerated somewhat in the accompanying drawing for convenience in illustration. The concavo-convex portions are imperforate, the sound openings 10 of the sounding board being disposed in the flat portion thereof.

The bridge 11 is arranged at the crown or center of the sounding board. The details for connecting the strings to the tail piece 12 are not illustrated as they form no of our present invention. The detailsof the joints of the parts are not described as they will be understood by those skilled in the art to which our invention relates Our improved instrument produces mellow agreeable tones and at the same time tones of great volume and great carrying power rendering instruments of this type better adapted for concert and orchestral work.

We have illustrated and described our improvements as we have embodied them in mandolins.

We have not attempted to illustrate the adaptation and embodiment of our improve ments in other instruments of this type as they will be fully understood by those skilled in the art to which our invention relates.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: is

A stringed musical instrument of the mandolin type comprising a hollow body including a rim, a back, and a sounding board, said sounding board having a cenpart trail disposed iinperfoi'ate concavo-convex portion and a surrounding relatively fiat portion between the said concavo-convex portion and the rim, having sound open ings therein, said concave-convex portion being of decreasing thickness from its center outward to a zone of least thickness in the fiat portion within the rim.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals in the presence of two 10 witnesses.

ANDREW JAY BEAMS, JR. [LS-1 EWIS A. WILLIAMS. [Ls] itnesses EUGENE T. THoMrsoN, 0. Mom. 

